


Exceptions

by prairiecrow



Series: Visitations [2]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Age Difference, Alien Culture, Cuddling and Snuggling, Dominance, Established Relationship, Friends With Benefits, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Secret Relationship, Submission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-13
Updated: 2011-08-13
Packaged: 2017-10-22 14:04:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/238831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prairiecrow/pseuds/prairiecrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place during "Visitations" (in a chapter not yet published). Garak pays a visit to Julian after the events of "The Forsaken".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Exceptions

**Author's Note:**

> 1) Contains spoilers for a future chapter of "Visitations", obviously, as well as for the canon episode "The Forsaken". :)  
> 2) With props to airandangels for a lovely line describing Julian's smile.  
> 3) Reveals the nature of Garak and Julian's relationship in this ficverse in a Cardassian context, from Garak's POV.

When Garak paid his midnight visits to the quarters of Deep Space Nine's CMO sleep was usually the furthest thing from Julian's mind — Garak saw to that with every sensual and erotic skill at his command, and although he was no  _darok'chal_  his talents seemed more than equal to the task of keeping the Human utterly enthralled and suitably obedient. But tonight was an entirely different story: tonight he lay on Julian's narrow bed with the good Doctor wrapped in his arms, staring into the darkness and listening to the soft even rush of Julian's breathing as he slept. It was the first time he had actually  _lain_  with the man he'd taken as his  _sivharal_ , and even though he was, as usual, fully clothed and Julian was clad in the royal blue silk pajamas Garak had carefully crafted for him, there was a dangerous intimacy in the very act.

Today, however, had been a most unusual day. Today this guileless young man with the soulful hazel eyes and sweet foolish smile had proven himself exactly what his uniform advertised him to be: a Starfleet officer capable of bold and decisive action. Sisko's preliminary report on the incident had praised him for his resourcefulness and composure under imminent threat of death, and in Garak's experience of secretly reading classified Federation files the Commander was not a man to offer such words lightly.

Julian shifted restlessly and Garak snapped out of his reverie, ready to let go of him, but the Human snuggled closer, tightened his hold on Garak's waist and nuzzled in under his chin with a gusty little sigh before settling down again. Amused, Garak wondered if Julian was this much of a cuddler with all his bedmates. Not that Garak had ever intended to become a bedmate in the first place: it suited him much better to come and go like a ghost in the night, exactly as he pleased. It avoided messy physical and emotional entanglements, neither of which a man in his position could afford. 

Tonight, though… well, Julian  _had_  almost died today, and he had to admit that he'd grown fond of the boy and the distractions he provided. It wouldn't destabilize the situation between them to offer a bit of purely physical comfort, and he'd extricate himself from the slender arms and slip away well before morning. 

"G'rak?" Another little squirm and a sleepy mutter. Garak found himself smiling as he held his… yes, he supposed Julian could be called a friend… a little closer.

"I'm here, Doctor." He kept his voice to a caressing murmur, bringing his right hand up to run his fingers through the freshly washed tousle of dark hair. The scent of the soap Julian's mother had sent along with him to Deep Space Nine — frankincense and sandalwood, he'd called it — clung to his caramel skin. Almost to himself, Garak added: "You did very well today, my dear." A kiss pressed to the smooth temple and a softer whisper: "I'm proud of you."

Julian smiled in his sleep, one of those radiant smiles that seemed to light up his whole narrow face. For a moment Garak was concerned that he would awaken and want to engage in a conversation that Garak would much prefer to avoid, but instead he rubbed Garak's back, mumbled something unintelligible and went under again.

Garak sighed subliminally. A  _sivharal_  was entitled to nothing more than sexual pleasure and lessons in submission from his  _sivtarak_ , so where did what Garak had done this evening fit into that paradigm? Coaxing the lovely child out of bed and out of his awful Starfleet issue nightclothes… leading him into the shower, calling for the luxury of water rather than sonics… carefully washing his body and his hair (the scent of smoke still clinging to it, a disturbing reminder of how close the plasma surge had come to searing that golden flesh)… dressing him in the sleek pajamas meant only for sex and then putting him back to bed again? And being prepared to leave him there, clean and relaxed, to do nothing more than sleep? 

But Julian had had other ideas. As Garak had turned away a hand had caught his arm and that melodiously accented voice had whispered: "Stay, Garak. Please."

And so he had. Glancing down at Julian's expression, ridiculously happy even in slumber, Garak reflected that he would have to be especially careful to give Julian very specific signals in the days to come, to reinforce that their relationship to each other consisted of weekly lunch dates and the occasional bout of sexual dominance controlled entirely by Garak. It wouldn't do to have Julian think that he'd become unduly attached.

Tonight, he would have to clearly establish, was simply the exception that proved the rule.

THE END


End file.
